Tobin,
The path that Paul lays out is the path that He (Jesus) followed, He is "the way" to escape this world and the bondage of death. We must become as He was and we must do the will of the Father. But it can't be done for reward. It must be done because you have written the commandments of God on your heart. Over time we realize that truth and love are of God and the things of this world are vapor and are meaningless. As Christ by example showed us the path and carried His cross we also must be an example and carry our own cross. We must overcome the world in order to escape the world. The simple notion of judgement at the end of our life has been distorted. Since we are eternal spirits then what is life that Christ talked about?
In the Book of Revelation Christ talks about seven churches. All of the churches were filled with believers yet He talks about how most have not overcome. And those who have not overcome were to be blotted out of the Book of life and were destined for tribulation. The realm of death is the realm of the flesh. If you think of your self as flesh then death is a sting and is a powerful experience. But if you have rejected this world and embraced the truth of who we are as spirits then death loses its sting and death has no power over us. So exactly what is life? Life is eternal life without death. To have a body of flesh that does not die. But if we do not progress to life then we are thrown back to death. But death is here on the earth. This idea is rejected by most. But once embraced it makes the Old Testament clear. Where many see the God of the Old Testament as cruel I see God as caring not about death of the flesh but instead guiding spirits to learn to love. Knowing that each probation on earth is but an attempt to grow towards the walk towards God. The potter reshapes into a new vessel.
As the rest of Romans is laid out it may become clear what the bondage of death actually means.
I came to this understanding over a long time using the New Testament. But this understanding has been around a long time. But has been cast off. It is a shame what has happened. Quite by accident I ran into the following:
".....I never expect that day. It is just so with a great many, when they come here, they suppose that everything is going to be prepared for them; they suppose that they will sit down in ease, and eat, and drink, and wear, and that there will be no person to trouble them. We have come here to become inured to work—to build temples, and improve upon the elements that God has placed around us, that we may become more skillful tomorrow, through the experience of today. What I do not today, when the sun goes down, I lay down to sleep, which is typical of death; and in the morning I rise and commence my work where I left it yesterday. That course is typical of the probations we take. But suppose that I do not improve my time today, I wake up tomorrow and find myself in the rear; and then, if I do not improve upon that day, and again lay down to sleep, on awaking, I find myself still in the rear. This day's work is typical of this probation, and the sleep of every night is typical of death, and rising in the morning is typical of the resurrection. They are days' labors, and it is for us to be faithful today, tomorrow, and everyday."
A Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, May 31, 1857.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
http://jod.mrm.org/4/328This teaching is rejected by modern leaders. But a careful look at the bondage of death brings us to the same conclusions. I think that Paul makes this case.